Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad has a new face at the helm. Last Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Major General Roman Gofman as the next 'First Man' of the spy agency. David Barnea's tenure as head of 'Mossad' ends in June 2026. Gofman is being entrusted with the responsibility in his place. Although Gofman has been associated with the army for a long time, he has no experience working in the intelligence department.
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Who is this Gofman?
Mossad is notable among the world's leading spy agencies. The responsibility of that organisation is going to Gofman, who held multiple important positions in Israel's army. Born in Belarus in 1976. At the age of 14, he moved to Israel.
In 1995, he joined the Israeli armed forces. On 7 October 2023, during the conflict with Gaza, he was seen in the role of commander of the Israeli army. He was seriously injured in Hamas's attack on October 7 that year. After that, Gofman joined Netanyahu's office cabinet in April 2024. According to sources, Gofman is close to Netanyahu.
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However, Gofman was never associated with any intelligence agency. His appointment as head of Mossad has not faced much criticism. But Uri Misgav, a columnist for Israel's left-wing newspaper, has claimed that Gofman is not the right person for this position.
